Farming column with Sam Walton

To be a farmer, you need to be a born optimist. Everything will always be better tomorrow.

Sometimes it is and mostly it is not. Coping with that scenario is interesting to say the least.

Will weather pattern changes affect rice and banana crops in the future.

Bearing in mind that we have no idea what price we are going to get for any of our livestock when we set out to produce them and similarly with crops, it makes for an interesting life with many pit falls.

As the World population increases, I guess the difficulties will also increase.

Whether my addled brain is able cope with the increase and work things out is another matter.

Farming worldwide has always been interesting with the varied weather patterns it has to contend with.

Floods must be a nightmare for any farmer anywhere, who can lose livestock and crops.

Hurricanes devastate crops and buildings and some areas possibly go two years without any rain.

That scenario will no doubt continue and has been clear here over the last few years, weather patterns are changing and whether we like it or not, a good frost kills a lot of bugs and pests which can affect our crops and animals.

Before we had powerful machinery for cultivating land, many crops now sown in the autumn, used to be sown in the spring and Jack Frost would work his magic on the soil to enable us to use a simple set of harrows to cultivate, which was done by our forebears with their heavy horses.

I am pleased to have seen that in my youth and also to have seen the latest technology.

I am not at all confused by it and am still hopeful of being involved with the ever increasing new technology which I think is going to be mind blowing.

Having said all that, I really have no firm idea of what is going to happen between now and next harvest. I wonder how many other industries have to work in that way?